Over the years I've tried my hand at a lot of crafty things. I don't think I'm alone in that. Lots of people feel the need to express some creativity. I sew, quilt, make candles, make simple jewelry, paint ceramics, and tried to recreate any number of things I've spotted at craft fairs. Pinterest is great for crafty ideas and I love to see what others have thought up. But there's one truth I've concluded: crafts are easy and writing is difficult.
I love writing, but it's a different beast than spray painting patterns on pickle jars to use as summertime luminaries. One is of the hand and eye, and the other is of the mind and will. Writing is the hardest thing I've ever done. Pulling thoughts from the air and turning them into a cohesive work is as lonely and bitter as it is fulfilling.
And then there is cooking and baking. Writing feeds the mind's need for creativity. Cooking fuels the mind's need for a body in which to operate, but cooking and baking is also a creative endeavor. The spousal unit discovered bread baking a while ago and has embraced it to the point of being annoying. Then again, the man comes up with some tasty surprises.
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| Orange Rolls |
This time of year, as we approach Christmas, I think a lot of people think about cooking. We do, and this year we're approaching it differently. We're not going to simply throw the leftovers in the freezer. We are going to be intentional about preparing main dishes and throwing them in the freezer. It sounds like a good plan because it frees up more writing time each evening.
One of the continuing battles with myself is getting in the mood to write after I've cooked dinner and cleaned up the mess. I need time to unwind after working all day and then coming home to more work. (Poor, poor, pitiful me, right?)
So multi-tasking is out and being intentional is in. Being intentional is being more focused than depending on spontaneity to win the day. That may sound strange coming from a child of the seventies, but there it is. I'm intentionally baking orange rolls for breakfast and freezing two more portions for future breakfasts. Then I'm making lasagna and freezing three portions for three future dinners. There are chili and a host of other main dishes to follow this weekend.
I re-aligning my world yet again. Maybe this time it will work and the current work-in-progress will be my masterpiece. Or maybe I should just be happy that a wee bit of work today and tomorrow will net me thirty-one extra hours of writing time come January. Sounds good to me.
KC Kendricks
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